Eponine?
by AnnaLiz2012
Summary: What happened after she got her father's gang away from Cosette and Marius? What will become of the lonely and the lovestruck? Rated M just in case...
1. Chapter 1

_This is my first Les Mis fanfic, so I hope it's alright - apologies for the pitifully short first chapter but there will be more to come! In case anyone is interested, Eponine is based on Sam Barks' interpretation of the character._

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**_"You wait my girl, you'll rue this night! I'll make you scream, you'll scream alright!"_**

I should have known, Father always kept his promises.

As I lie, broken and bleeding in the street where he has thrown me, the way that he had left me once he had finished, I cannot not stop the images that torment me. My own screams, his boot and his angry fist… The belt and the scrape of teeth on bone. He had wiped his hands as he went away, washing them of me. I was no longer his daughter, not that I ever wished to be in the first place. _At least I left my mark on the bastard…_ It is starting to rain; not the light and gentle mist that I welcome, that is my friend, but great painful, bullet-like drops, driving into my eyes and wounds and only intensifying the agony that he had inflicted upon me. The worst feeling is that I can't move, the unbearable pain preventing me from finding some refuge from another vicious onslaught. _Why did no-one help me?_ The true answer to the question, the question I was inwardly screaming, is almost more painful than my struggle against him had been; _no-one would have questioned him here, not here. Everywhere you look there's another young…_ The bile rises from my stomach into my throat, my eyes are fuzzy now… _Focus Eponine… You must stay…_As I am sick, my bloodied head swims and an overwhelming giddiness overwhelms me. For once, I am not strong. You are nothing, you ugly whore… I shudder at the memory of his stinking, hot breath against my face, it had made my eyes sting and I had shed a one of the oceans of tears that had been threatening as he had hurt me…

I am ready to finally give in to the blackness, to finally fall into the void when someone shouts out. I feel too weak and heavy to run from the man who is inevitably here to finish Father's job. I welcome death now. At least I may be able to find redemption in the arms of God… _You are fooling yourself 'Ponine, there is no God. _The last thing I sense is a pair of heavy boots pounding up the road towards me, and the rough skin of a hand against my exposed throat…


	2. Chapter 2

_I apologise for the many mistakes in the first chapter; it's just a bit embarrassing as an English student! Hopefully the way I write is quite easy to understand other than that, and any feedback is greatly appreciated whether its good or bad! :)_

_Also forgot to mention that the italics are Eponine's thoughts, and that, obviously I don't own any of the charactets etc etc. Also, Marius is based on Eddie Redmayne, and the rest of the students on the cast of the 25th anniversary O2 concert, Enjolras is Ramin Karimloo etc (although Aaron Tveit is divine 3)_

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"She's waking..." Voices are filling the air around me, though the majority of their words are incomprehensible. A strong yet gentle arm snakes around my shoulders and my dizziness only grows worse as the man I cannot see half sits me up. Strangely, I feel little pain.  
"Here, come on ma Cherie, this will make you feel better..." A hand brushes my face and I stiffen, before feeling the glass that's being pressed to my lips. "That's it, well done, good girl..." The voice is soft, crooning in my ear, as I take a painful sip, only to wretch in disgust.  
"Urgh... What.. is that?" The weakness in my voice takes me by surprise and I allow the stranger to guide me back down again, onto what seemed like a firm bed. I shudder, _I can't be here... I can't..._ Tears fill my eyes as I struggle against him, gasping for breath and sheer terror coursing through my veins as I feel the man trying to hold me still; pinning me against a muscular chest with an arm around my tiny waist and bony shoulders.  
"Where am I...?!" The cry was enough to bring him to my side, the face that I recognise through the haze of pain and fear that blurs my vision. He comes to me from across the room; a face that is etched with concern, a face that is twisting as he speaks, though I cannot hear his words.  
"Monsieur..." He takes my hand, resting his forehead gently against mine as he plants a gentle kiss on the bridge of my nose. I realise that I have nothing to fear from this place, wherever I am, and I feel nothing else as I allow myself to give in to sleep.  
"Be at peace, dear Eponine…"

"Marius, go… I will remain here. There is work to be done, I can watch over her." The voice is once again near me, I have heard him there often as I thrashed my way feverishly through the endless nights of my illness, unaware of anything except the never-ending nightmare of my memory. My eyes are still closed as I hear Marius leave, they are too painful and sticky, _but I need to see him…_ I listen to the soft creak of wood as he stands from his position at the table, the comforting pad of footsteps on the planks, calmer now than the night that he saved me from death. He is stood looking down at my face, I can feel his breath on my skin, and I shiver. I force my right eye to half-open, and through the mistiness of sleep and sickness I see his outline against the window. He sees the movement, kneeling to my level, and I am gazing into a deep, soulful and passionate brown eye. The eyes of my saviour. His firm warm hand moves its way soothingly over my trembling fingers, whilst the other is pressed gently to my forehead. Clearly satisfied that I am, at last, improving, his fingers brush my hair back from my forehead in a slow, deliberate and tender action as he tries not to frighten me. _He knows what happened…_  
"Dear God 'Ponine, I thought we'd lost you…"


	3. Chapter 3

This chapter isn't my best, just a little bit of filler to get the story moving. Hopefully it'll start to get more interesting from now on. Thanks for reading :) x

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_Marius left me…_ As I lie back, removing Enjolras' hand from my body, I allow a single tear to be released and roll down my cheek. I'm not crying about what happened to me, what that bastard did, but because he left me. I trusted him with my heart and he just left, without hesitation, his head full of his precious little Lark! My heart is broken. I know that he will never love me back, I'm not that stupid, but to leave without even showing he cares… It's more than I can take. I might as well die if my Marius no longer cares whether I live or not. _I'll wait 'til his back is turned and make a run for it._ I lie still, pretending I am sleeping, until I hear his footsteps moving softly away from my side. Opening one eye, I see that he has his back to me, his face embedded in a book. _Quietly 'Ponine, quietly…_ Slowly, I ease my battered body into a sitting position. I can feel the ache all over my body, the burn of his drunken touch spread through me like a poison clouding my brain. _Ok Eponine, you can do this. One step at a time._ I slip off the bed, gasping slightly at the solidity of the floor under my bruised feet; the shock of the slight jarring sensation working its way up my spine. _Right, good. Now to walk._ Even in my battered state, I am still as light as the wind across the floor. Stealth and quietness, two of the most important qualities that I have learned whilst living with my parents. I almost feel proud of myself by the time I get to the stairs, he still hasn't noticed. But then there were the stairs and I realised, too late, that actually 'Ponine had made a bit of a mistake…

"Eponine! You damn fool girl!" I didn't even notice that she had moved until the muffled squeal, and the bump of a light body slipping down the stairs. I raced to her and found her trembling, pressing herself back against the wall as I got closer, her eyes wide and glassy with pain. _You idiot Enjolras, scaring her like that…  
_"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you…" I kneel at her side, gently pulling her into my arms… and not anticipating the vicious thump across the jaw that it would earn me.  
"You didn't. Get away from me!" She snarls at me, her eyes are narrowed now to slits, although I can tell that she is lying. I can almost hear her little heart beating out of her chest with fright, like a caged bird desperately bashing itself around in an attempt to regain its freedom. Looking at the young girl before me, she is that little bird personified. She lashing out, trying to regain control.  
"Mademoiselle, I can only apologise…" I back away slightly and she relaxes, although the aggression is simply replaced with a heartbreaking wariness. She stands, shakily, and looks down at me with those eyes. _Those eyes…_  
"I wish to leave, Monsieur." She states plainly as she heads for the door, although I know that I must stop her.  
"Eponine please! You must come back, please, even if it's just so that you can have some food and the others can see you're alright…" I instantly regret my choice of words, as the anger is back and burning even more fiercely now that she is so close to her freedom.  
"I do not need your charity!" She spits at me, thankfully missing, before turning, as if to leave, and grabbing hold of the doorframe. Before I could move she faints dead away, her body folding into an unsuspecting Marius' arms.


	4. Chapter 4

_A belated thanks to my lovely reviewers, every comment means so much to me! I hope this chapter is alright and makes sense, it's a little longer than normal because the ideas just seemed to be there! Anyway, hope you enjoy! :) x_

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"LET GO OF ME!" I screech as someone wraps their arms around me from behind, pressing up against my still tender bruises and frightening me half to death, _not that I'd admit that._ I quickly establish that it's Grantaire, greeting me with a drunkenly friendly, if misjudged hug, as my thrashing sends a near-empty bottle smashing to the floor at our feet. He looks upset, his big kind eyes full of a sadness that chills me to the bone, even more biting than the coldest winter nights. He takes a step towards me and I back away, before realising that I've trapped myself in a corner. All I can do is turn my head away and wait for the beating that is sure to follow… But I don't feel the sting of a slap, or the thudding pain of a punch.  
"Oh 'Ponine…" His voice is soft as he addresses me by the pet name that they have for me, kneeling so that he's at eye level. _For a drunk, surprisingly smart…_ I half-smile to myself before struggling to my feet. This pity business has gone on long enough, it makes me feel sick every time I see them looking at me with that expression on their face. I know what they're thinking too… _Poor 'Ponine, abused like that by her own father…_ I can't stand it anymore. It's bad enough that they've all seen my bruises, that many of them saw the blood.  
"I don't want your pity. ANY of you." I glare around me as convincingly as I can, although I can still feel myself shaking like a half-starved kitten as I lean back on the wall for support.  
"I'm sorry Grantaire, for smashing your bottle, I'll get you another." I attempt a smile because the apology is genuine, all of them have been kind to me; no skinny little street criminal deserves to be treated as kindly by a load of bourgeois students as I have been. I'm surprised when he laughs, a hearty belly laugh that spreads quickly around the other students. _Have I said something funny..?_

I smile to myself from the corner of the room, where I witnessed the whole thing from behind my pile of books. For such a waif-like and, at the moment, battered and tired looking thing, Eponine can't half throw a punch. _He'll have a sore head in the morning…_  
"Alright everyone, settle down, that's enough." I speak as commandingly as I can from my perch, fighting the small smirk of contentment as they all grudgingly obey my order. I have to agree with them though, it's quite amusing that the girl that we saved, the girl who pretty much embodies the spirit of our campaign, the sole reason behind our being here and planning the revolution, feels like she owes us something. Grantaire steps back, leaving her some space, and I feel my heart begin to pound a little faster as he suddenly steps in fill it. She allows herself to be pulled into Marius' embrace, settling her head on his shoulder and nodding as he whispers something in her ear. I can't see her eyes, but I know in my gut that they are shining with pleasure. My own eyes narrow as she voluntarily accepts his touch, as she allows him to be the first to stroke her hair without trying to force medication into that stubborn and uncooperative little mouth of hers at the same time. _He barely did anything to help her recover, he was with his precious Cosette!_ As I watch, unable to tear my gaze away, I'm struck by the most peculiar feeling. _Little she knows…_

We walk tonight, Marius and I, and I still get the same giddy thrill and the swarm of butterflies in my stomach when walking arm in arm with him. Since I'm allowed out again now, as long as I'm accompanied, I plan to savour every moment that I get to spend alone in his company. Our path is lit by the gentle silver of starlight and the funny little sliver of moon. He's not limited his talk of his precious Cosette, and although it makes the searing pain in my chest hurt more than ever, at least he's not treating me any differently. _Unlike Enjolras._The great leader, who has never before paid me even the slightest amount of attention, now has to be made aware of every breath I take. It's really quite tedious, so spending time alone with Marius is a release in more ways than one. I allow myself a small sigh of contentment. I feel happy for the first time in a long time. It doesn't last.

When I see the street sign, illuminated by the harsh white light of the moon, which I suddenly realise is simply peering out from the darkness, laughing and mocking me. _Why didn't I realise that this is where we were heading!_ I want to turn and run, flee from the memories and the pain. He calls her name softly into the darkness, and I can just make out the unmistakable gleam of her eyes from behind the gate. Every wound that was inflicted upon me suddenly seems to be filled with a new agony. It kills me to know that these are the eyes which captured his heart. Not that he cares.


	5. Chapter 5

_I hope this chapter is alright, even though it seems pointless there is a point! Any comments/suggestions for any improvements are much appreciated, and thank you SO much to you wonderful people who have followed/favourited this story, I hope I'm not disappointing! x_

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"I think you've had enough of that... If Enjolras comes in and sees you he'll flip..." My newly filled glass is pulled from under my nose, breaking my train of thought. _How dare he tell me what I can or can't drink? Who does he think he is! _He takes a step back as I glare at him, trying, and clearly succeeding, to pour all of the bitterness, anger and pain that I feel because of his friend into that one look. For once I don't feel sorry that my temper is getting the better  
of me.  
"I'm not drunk Grantaire! I can make my own decisions! I bet that could drink you under the table!" I spit the words out and can almost taste their venom on my tongue. He looks vaguely surprised at my outburst, although it's not long before that familiar sparkle reappears in his eyes. I know what is coming.  
"If I win..?"  
"A kiss." There is a collective gasp at that moment, although I don't know why they're all so surprised, _I have nothing else to give him... And I trust the crazy old drunk now anyway._ His eyes twinkle mischievously as he takes a drink from my glass! _Cheeky_ _little bastard_!  
"And if I win..?" I glance around them cheekily, my bad mood fading slightly to amusement at the sight of their mouths still hanging open at my answer. It seems the only one who wasn't amazed is the man himself, who I would happily cover in kisses just for being so wonderful. _Although he's not Marius..._  
"Then I'll buy your drink for the rest of the evening." He snorts as I extend my hand to him, clasping my tiny hand in his, shaking it vigorously.  
"Deal."

Wrapping my arms around his neck I pull his face close to me and kiss him, giggling as I feel his hand rubbing up and down my back. I don't feel repulsed  
by this, this isn't work. For once being in the arms of a drunk seems innocent and surprisingly pleasurable. _He's a friend, not a customer..._ His soft, fluffy hair tickles my forehead as he kisses me and it feels nice, so different from what I'm used to. Eventually we pull back and he moves his hands to my hips to stop himself from toppling off the chair, swaying dangerously with a goofy grin on his stupid face.  
"Thanks.. For taking pity on me..." He giggles at me as he slurs, touching my face with a soft hand. I take his hand in mine and cuddle up on his lap as he leans back against the table for support.  
"You're welcome... I love it when I win a bet." The others, who had moved slowly closer and closer as I had drunk Grantaire to the point where he could no longer sit unaided, smirk at this. I smile at them before kissing his cheek gently, squeezing his hand. Happiness floods through me as Grantaire gestured  
for another drink to be passed over, and Combeferre bows low as he gives it to me.  
"We bow to your superior drinking skills." We all laugh together and I take a large gulp. I'm finally surrounded by people I know I can trust, who wouldn't abuse me, even though I am the only female present. _Decent men. I wouldn't have believed they existed before I met Les Amis...  
_

We don't notice Enjolras slipping in through the doors, followed by Marius, who'd been dragged from his beloved Cosette's side. I had my back to them, my left hand idly stroking soft, dark tufts of hair, so didn't see the anger in their eyes as I took another swig from the mug.  
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" We all jump a mile, and I find myself sprawled on my back floor with Grantaire lying over me as we fall from the chair in shock. In a second they're standing over us. Marius is glaring around the circle, while Enjolras is looking down at us, his eyes fixing on my face, an undetectable emotion passing through them. He can clearly smell the alcohol on us. In a flash, I understand him.  
"No, no Monsieur! Please, you don't…!" I can feel myself start to tremble.  
"Eponine? Outside, please." The great leader catches my arm and practically carries me out, shutting the door firmly behind us. _Merde._


	6. Chapter 6

So firstly, I'd like to apologise for the length of time it's taken for me to post this chapter - I've only just come up for breath from my college work, and secondly I have discovered that I don't really know where this is going, so sit back, hold tight and we'll discover it together!

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"Would you like to explain what was just going on in there?!" I can see Enjolras' anger in his eyes, it's not even like he's trying to hide it. _I don't understand why he's so bothered by it…_  
"It was nothing Monsieur…" I can't bring myself to look him in the eye, he's so angry I think he might try and kill me… I can feel him bristling, he's so close  
and there's nowhere to go… _I knew it was too good to be true_.  
"Don't lie to me." He pushes me back against the wall, gently, and his strong arms are either side of my body. _Kind of panicking right now… _Why is he doing this? We weren't harming anyone…

She pushes against my chest for a moment before backing herself so close to the wall she could disappear into the brickwork. Looking into her brown eyes I can feel the anger rising up inside me again. This girl is the image on which we have spent so long planning this revolution. The idea of them abusing her makes me feel sick. _How can we fight to free the poor and oppressed if we are no better than the monarch ourselves?_

He's been staring at me for a long time, his face contorting in a flurry of different emotions. _I don't understand. _How do I get him to let me go? _He's too  
big for me to move…_ I resort to the last thing that I want to do to this man who has shown me so much kindness, it's honestly all I can think of to bring him around. Reaching out a hand, I scrape my nails down his cheek, feeling a sudden warmth against my fingers as I draw blood. _Oh God, no…_

"Ow!" A sudden sharp sting of pain shoots through my face and I raise my hand to my cheek, feeling a small spot of blood rising out of the torn skin. My eyes narrow in anger and I glare again at the girl, see her trembling against the wall, a hand covering her mouth in, what I presume, is a mixture of shock and horror. Blood under her nails. I see the fear written across her features and step back, away from her, giving her some space. There's no way I would hit a  
woman, and especially not this woman, no matter how she infuriates me.  
"Why did you do that?"  
"I apologise, Monsieur Enjolras, I'm so sorry!" The tears start to flow, and I notice that she is remarkably good at stopping herself from sobbing. Not that  
that's a positive thing at all.  
"I didn't mean any harm sir… It's been so long since someone made me laugh like Monsieur Grantaire, even if he is a drunkard…" She looks at me with her watery gaze and gives a pathetic little half smile.  
"I am only Monsieur Marius' go between now…" The pain in her eyes forces a tear in my heart, and I feel a pang of sympathy for the girl. How could Marius be so blind? Even if this girl, Eponine, means nothing to him, surely he can see what he means to her? My only love is my Patria, and I'm not so blind…  
"Alright. But if anything happens, you come to me, understood?" She stands a little taller, her chin rising slightly from the floor despite the fact I know that my tone is not exactly gentlemanly.  
"Yes sir, thank you Monsieur… I'm sorry about your face…" She does look genuinely apologetic, but I'll let it go. She deserves that much. I watch her through the window as she scampers back up the stairs, see her meeting Marius at the door,  
see the smile she gives him, the longing. Turning, I punch the wall and let out a cry of frustration, releasing just the tiniest bit of the pent up anger inside of me. Giving myself bloody knuckles to add to my scratched face.


	7. Chapter 7

I'm really sorry that this is so short - it didn't seem right to add more to it somehow! There will be another chapter uploaded tomorrow to make up for it. Hope you enjoy :) x

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I find myself enveloped in his arms, my love, imagining how he would hold me, kiss me, if he truly felt love for me. My heart sings whenever Marius touches me, it allows me to feel at peace, I'm not alone anymore… _But you know it's only in your mind Eponine…_ _He doesn't love you,  
he's comforting you as a friend, nothing more._ My thoughts don't stop me from enjoying the moment though, burying my face in his chest and allowing myself to cry. He's so strong, I finally feel safe, safe here in his arms… I can hear them all mumbling, pondering on what happened. _What gossips, they're worse than women…_ It takes a long time for the door to open, although with my face pressed against Marius' body, I barely notice the passing time, but when I hear the squeaking of the hinges, I freeze. _Enjolras… _  
"Jesus, what happened to you?!" His entrance is followed by a few soft scraping sounds, and I can feel his eyes boring into my head, willing me to turn and face him. _Not gonna happen you ignorant, stony…  
_"Nothing." His voice is quiet, it sounds odd, but there's anger in there. _So angry at a woman Monsieur…?_ I have to hold back from turning and spitting in his smug face. _Bourgeois bastard._  
"Marius. A word." He obeys instantly, releasing me from his arms and passing me to go to his side. Taking a deep breath to control my pounding heart, I turn around. I wish I hadn't. As they slowly leave the room I look down, and find that I have to fight to hold back the new sobs of fear and panic that are rising up in my throat.


	8. Chapter 8

As promised, here's the longer chapter! I hope it's alright and that you enjoy it, any suggestions are much welcomed! Thank you to all you who are reading! :)

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The raised voices from the next room were followed by several growls of pain, and laughs from the school boys as I sat alone at the table in the corner, my hands hiding my face. Now I'm all alone again… They'll kick me out after this without a doubt. I just… I wish Marius would come out and hug me again… Hold me close, whisper in my ear that it's all going to be alright. Tell me that he loves me and that he'll never let me go. _Dream on Eponine… Now they've all seen that you're scum...  
_

From my position at the bar, I notice a single tear run down her cheek and she doesn't even bother to wipe it away. It's heartbreaking. We're the outcasts, and now she can't even be near me. It hurts that she's been taken away from me… I take another gulp from the near empty bottle, but it never seems to be enough to numb the pain. The anger and the frustration seething within me, twisting my gut into a thousand knots. I understand why they find me distasteful, I hardly come up with anything sensible, but I just can't help it. _It gets their attention doesn't it?_ I wish that they'd pay her some attention other than to use her like that damn fool Marius. She deserves better from him. I can't bear to sit here like the drunkard I am and watch her cry alone any longer. _I might be a drunk, but I'm not a fool, no matter what anyone thinks of me.  
_

"She WOULDN'T Enjolras!"  
"Marius don't be a fool! You're blind to that girl!"  
"Why would she…"  
"Why don't we find out."_  
_  
"Hey, Eponine…" The hand on my shoulder makes me jump, and I hastily try to wipe away the tears that are now falling freely down my face, although no doubt he's seen them. What I don't expect is for fingers to brush my cheek, a gentle touch by soft fingers. _I don't understand…  
_"Grantaire, it's my fault he's…" I stare at the man before me, and I can suddenly feel the pain behind that drunken façade.  
"I promise you, they won't send you away." He hands me the bottle he drinks from, and the harsh taste almost seems comforting. I like spending time with him, and the rest of them; they pay little attention to me, and I can be with Marius. _Just how I like it…  
_

"Eponine." Grantaire and I both turn at the voices, and my eyes instantly fix on the floor. _My God, he's even more intimidating…_ He lowers himself into the chair opposite me, and a cold hand lifts my chin until I'm looking into his hard eyes.  
"Did you plan this. To trap us. To trap me." My jaw drops open, even though I was expecting this. This is the first step, next they'll make me confess and then I leave.  
"No Monsieur Enjolras! Why would I trap you! You're all the closest I have to family!" _Damn you Grantaire, and that drink loosening my tongue._ The silence in the room tells me everyone heard. _Shit._ He raises an eyebrow, moving his hand from my face.  
"Oh really."  
"I swear I didn't plan this! My father…" _Double shit. Shouldn't have said that. Now I have to tell them everything…  
_"My father… Before he…" I swallow, my hand tangling in my hair self-consciously. I can't stop myself looking down at his leg, it's still slowly oozing and his trouser leg is strained dark crimson. It looks really painful, but father must have been really drunk. _Thank goodness._  
"Before he left me… He told me that I'd regret it… That everything I loved would be taken from me, that he would take it." I can't look him in the eye. I can't believe I'm admitting this. My last sentence is less than a whisper.  
"He must have seen us talking… I'm so sorry Monsieur…"


	9. Chapter 9

Apologies for the fact this isn't a brilliant chapter, but I've hit the dreaded wall and am suffering writer's block... As well as facing an appalling amount of work... You know how it goes, any reviews/ideas gratefully accepted and thank you all for reading, I love you for it!

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Days have passed since Father injured Enjolras, and it seems to me that he's healing slowly. Thankfully the wound was not too deep, and once everyone had managed to pin the stupid fool down Joly had been able to clean the gash and strap it up. As they'd practically sat on Enjolras to keep him still I watched Grantaire watching them with a deep pain in his eyes. His hero, his _God_ was trying and failing tried to hide his whimpers of pain. From where I stood I could see the back of Enjolras' head as he kept twisting, trying to fight them, _Lord knows why, they're only trying to help…_ But then he turned his head and I can see his eyes… His eyes that burn with a raging mix of anger and pain. He glared at me and I could feel his bitterness slicing through my body, those icy orbs narrowed almost as if I betrayed him by letting his friends help… _I can't get the image out of my head…  
_  
The girl is still sat in the corner, the place where she slumped after helping treating my wound, the place that she hasn't moved from since. Every few hours since she placed herself there, one of the boys takes food to her, usually Grantaire or Combeferre, although they've all had a go. I hear them from my makeshift bed where the idiots have left me. It's no good even trying to fight them and their stupid protests to be still, because they'll just drug me again. _Cunning, sly little bastards they are._ But this time the panic, which has been rising in their voices over the past two days, is clear. From what I hear, she isn't eating, barely drinking… Just sitting there, unresponsive. I need to see her. I'll make her eat. So I drag myself up, the pain is less now thank God. _Let's see what this racket is all about… _

The sign that they're frantic is that they don't notice me approach. They're sat around her, their eyes wide with worry. I can see why, because the girl looks awful. She seems even more emaciated than she was five days ago, and dehydration has made her skin cling more closely to the curve of her jaw. As I near, I can hear them, practically begging her.  
"Please 'Ponine, just eat something…! Please, we don't want you to get sick!" I'm fed up already, and their whining is hurting my ears. My head is banging like a giant drum.  
"I command you Eponine, eat the food." My fierce tone surprises even me, and it sure as anything shocks the rest of them. They turn to me, although they don't pounce, shoving me back into the boring hell-hole they call my 'rest room'. They just stare, like something has clicked in their foolish minds. I turn my gaze back to the girl, and do a double take as I see her nibbling at the food, with a look in her eyes that seems almost like relief..? _Strange…_


	10. Chapter 10

*peers in shyly* Oh my god I'm SO sorry! I'm so bad, it's been so long since I updated this! My work is keeping my so crazy... The only reason this chapter is written is because I've been sick with flu... Please all accept my apologies, and greatest thanks to everyone who has read, for sticking my this story, I love you all!

This chapter is a terribly short peace offering, a kind of mini-filler until I actually decide where I'm going... I'm not sure when I'll be able to update again, so please keep reading, and reviews are much appreciated, as always, good or bad! xxx

* * *

A slight dip in the mattress awakens me from my light sleep though I don't open my eyes, _I'm better now yet they still make me nap like a child… Courfeyrac would kill me if he knew I don't sleep._ I prepare myself to be shaken awake, Joly looking t my eyes, peering at the nicely healing scar on my leg. But instead, something I don't expect. A light touch on my forearm, her slim hand cool against my skin. _Eponine._ I don't know what she's doing, but she knows that I'm awake, I can sense it. I can feel the slight smile on her lips as she presses them to my forehead… _Wait, what?!_ I open my eyes and she's staring straight at me, a glimmer of fear, along with something else, in her dark eyes.  
"I apologise, Monsieur, for waking you… I needed to check for myself…" She almost whispers the last part, guilt radiates from her in waves. _Why I do, what I do, next, I have no idea._ I take her hand in mine and shuffle backwards slightly. She accepts the invitation that I wasn't even aware I was giving out and curls up against my chest, her head pressed into my shoulder.  
"You are lonely, Enjolras…" She mumbles, her voice sending vibrations up my arm, along with a curious sense of warmth.  
"I know… Ever since I first saw you, you hide yourself in your fight for freedom and justice, hoping it will bring you comfort… Comfort from the aching hole in your heart…" She breaks off, the strong little thing looking close to tears. _How do you know…  
_"You are not alone, I know how it feels… I hide myself away in dreams and fairytales too Enjolras…"


End file.
